


One For the Money

by reclusiveq



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Mob, Angst, BAMF Natasha Romanov, Framing Story, Hydra, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Organized Crime, Rough Sex, good is not nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-23 22:57:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2558825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reclusiveq/pseuds/reclusiveq
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between managing a crime family and sleeping with a local detective, James Buchanan Barnes has a lot on his plate. When a new group threatens his position, Bucky has to learn to trust his friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vague_flirting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vague_flirting/gifts).



> This fic takes place in the 60s, so no cell phones or computers.
> 
> Based on a prompt from [vague-flirting](http://vague-flirting.tumblr.com/), who want mob boss!bucky and detective!steve.
> 
> Please note that there may be horrible inaccuracies to the way a crime family is handled due to the fact that I am not now, nor have I ever been, a part of a mob family.

Kicking off his pants, Bucky shoved Steve back onto the plush bed, pinning his wrists with one hand while he finished stripping the blonde. Steve was gorgeous, his lean, muscular frame picturesque in its perfection. The detective gave a token struggle, but they both knew he wasn’t really trying to break the hold. After all, this wasn’t the first time a fight between them had ended this way, with both of them naked and fighting for dominance. Bucky didn’t always win, but they both enjoyed the uncertainty. These moments with Steve were the only moments Bucky could really trust.

Outside his home, Bucky’s right hand man would be issuing orders that the boss was not to be disturbed. Natasha Romanoff, ex-KGB, had been a godsend to Bucky. Being the leader of the mob in Brooklyn was nothing if not fraught with peril. He had a whole crime family to look after, FBI and police to keep off his back, and still somehow create a safe environment for the neighborhood. It was stressful and hard, so when Natasha came in, Bucky took a chance that he could trust her. It was one of the best decisions he’d ever made. Like him, she had a very clear idea about right and wrong, but understood that hard decisions had to be made and the police couldn’t always make those decisions. They were kindred souls in their compassion and ruthlessness and had turned this neighborhood around in a hurry. No one dared mess with them now.

Because of that, Bucky could be in here, with Steve, and do whatever he wanted without fear of being caught. He leaned down and nipped at Steve’s neck, drawing a gasp from the other man. “I like that,” Bucky said, voice husky. “You sound so hot.” He trailed kisses and nibbles down to Steve’s clavicle, enjoying the sounds escaping from Steve’s lips.

Letting go of his wrists, Bucky ran his hands down Steve’s chest, watching his face as he went. Steve’s face was flushed as Bucky stopped to play with his nipples. Seeing Steve, a man who could only be described as a workaholic, stern and reserved when on the job, seeing him let go now, squirming under Bucky… well, it was intoxicating.

With that thought, Bucky shifted and went down on Steve. He felt Steve’s hands thread through his hair, pulling it slightly. There was an urgency in that rough gesture, not entirely surprising since it had been a couple of months since their last heated encounter. Steve needed this as much as Bucky did. 

With some difficulty, Bucky pulled away. It would have been too easy to keep going until Steve came, but that would have only satisfied him. He smiled as Steve gave a disappointed whimper. “Stay,” Bucky said.

“Jerk,” Steve breathed, making Bucky laugh. 

He walked over to the table and pulled out some oil. “Keep talking like that, I may not use this. You’re way too goddamned gorgeous like that, I can barely hold myself back.”

A ghost of a smiled played on Steve’s lips. “Well, if it’s that much of an issue.” He rolled onto his side, reaching for his pants. 

With a feral growl, Bucky took two quick steps back to the bed, oil in hand, and pushed Steve onto his stomach, keeping him pinned down with his hand pressed between Steve’s shoulder blades. “Try that again and I’ll tie you up and never let you leave,” he threatened. They both knew it was a hollow threat. Bucky would have stopped in a heartbeat if Steve asked. Still, holding Steve down like this, Bucky couldn’t deny the thrill of power that shot through him. He kept Steve pressed down with one arm, and used his free hand to open the glass bottle of oil. He dumped a liberal dose over Steve’s ass, hardly caring about the mess. Steve was going to smell like olive oil for a week. Let his captain figure that one out. 

Bucky set the oil aside, then started working at Steve, slipping first one finger in, then a second. Steve’s face was buried in the pillow, but Bucky could still hear the muffled moans. Steve could get quite loud when they really got going.

Once Bucky was sure Steve was ready, he moved behind him. There was no need for commands here. Bucky lifted his hand and Steve instantly responded by shifting to hands and knees. Bucky pushed himself in, thrusting slowly at first, drawing out the pleasure. But he couldn’t hold off for long, soon pounding into Steve, reaching around to get him. They both came with a loud groan. 

When it was over, Steve fell back to the bed, breathing heavy. Bucky lay next to him. There was no cuddling now. They were both too pragmatic for that. _”Don’t get attached to anyone. Attachments are an unnecessary risk.”_ That was what the old boss had told Bucky, right before Bucky killed him. And what kind of life could a crime lord and a detective have together, to say nothing of the fact that they were both men? 

Despite that, Bucky was still attached to the man dozing next to him. He glanced over and smiled as the blonde detective snored. Steve hated this life that Bucky had built for himself. It was the cause of most of their fights and why they mostly stayed away from each other. But every time the police fished another dead body out of the river, Steve was at Bucky’s door, demanding an explanation and not really understanding _why_. He was just too morally righteous to understand that _someone_ had to. If not Bucky, then someone else who cared less about people and more about profit.

Well, that was unfair. Steve did understand. He just didn’t like it and he didn’t like that it was Bucky. Hadn’t he told Bucky that enough? 

_”We should have joined the academy together,” Steve had said, after he’d found out what Bucky had done._

_“That stopped being a possibility the day that bastard had my father killed,” Bucky had growled in response._

_“We could have brought him to justice.”_

_“Bullshit. People like him never get brought to justice. He’s been running this town for twenty years._ Now _he’s got what he deserves and he won’t hurt anyone else.”_

_“Fine, but why do you have to take his place?”_

_“Because if I don’t, someone worse will.”_

That had ended in an argument similar to this one. Fists had been thrown, Bucky’s nose had been broken. Bucky sighed and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about that right now. The fact was that Bucky was doing the same thing that Steve wanted to do; he just happened to be using slightly less than legal means to do it. Dwelling on what might have been could only lead to heartbreak.

It was tempting to just lay here, but there was work to be done. Steve knew he could use Bucky’s shower before showing himself out.

~~~  
Meetings. Oh, how Bucky hated these damnable things. But they were necessary for him to keep tabs on his “family”. He glanced at Natasha as she met him in the hall.

“You should consider soundproofing your bedroom,” she remarked in Russian. “He is very loud.”

“Maybe I should just buy that gag you were talking about,” Bucky responded, also in Russian. He was so glad for the extra language he’d bothered to learn. It worked to discuss things with Natasha without having Bucky’s men knowing what they were saying.

The corner of her mouth quirked. “Maybe I will arrange for a box of toys to be delivered to your room for next time.”

“Well you have time. I doubt I’ll see him again for a while. What did you find out?”

“Rico.” 

Bucky gave a rather colorful curse in Russian. Natasha barely batted an eye. Rico was one of the family heads and, if Natasha was correct, was trying to smuggle in drugs to distribute to kids. Natasha was rarely wrong about these things. She had ways of finding out information. 

The problem was that Rico was a father himself. This presented a major difficulty. If Bucky killed the man, a rival boss could try to take in his kids in hopes of pulling support away from Bucky. If he simply threatened the man, it could be seen as a sign of weakness. But if Bucky did nothing, there could be children on the streets getting addicted to drugs.

“What do you think?” He asked Natasha.

“You’re the criminal mastermind,” she said. “Killing him would be your best option. It would cement your position among the other bosses. His oldest son is seventeen and could cause problems, but he’s not especially close to his father, so you could bring him in to replace his father at the table. If you’re really against killing, there’s torture, and then you could still replace him with his son.”

Bucky thought about it, then nodded. He locked away any emotion he felt about this. It would have to be dealt with cruel efficiency. “Let’s do that. It’s not ideal, but I want to do it in front of the others. Call his son and have him wait outside. He doesn’t need to witness the event.”

“Will you need my help?”

“I shouldn’t, but come in anyway, after you call in the son.”

By now they reached the meeting room. Bucky nodded at Natasha and stepped inside and looked around at the old men.

There were eight families under Bucky, each with their own territory within New York, each with their own motives and desires. There wasn’t a single man here who wouldn’t love to be in Bucky’s position, lording it over all of the others. There were only two reasons it hadn’t happened yet. One, none of them would ever be likely to agree to one of the others being in charge and two, Bucky had shown time and time again that he was not to be crossed. 

There had been a lot of blood in the beginning. More than even the police could keep up with. But then everything settled and Bucky had given the police someone to put away. They liked sending people to prison. They liked having someone to blame that made their jobs infinitely easier. And when the smoke had cleared, every man here knew exactly what Bucky was willing to do to keep his position.

Bucky, for his part, used his hard-won position to make the streets safer for the children and the everyman. Innocents didn’t need to be caught up in the mob’s world. He didn’t stop crime completely. He wasn’t an angel and he had to admit the perks of raking in a portion of what his families made did give him a pretty nice life. But fewer kids found themselves without one or both parents and that was more important to Bucky than anything.

“Gentlemen,” he said in English, walking over to the table. By now, they would have all heard about the drug dealer who had been fished up out of the river - the same one that Steve and him had fought about. Bucky didn’t stop all of the dealers, but he had very strict rules about where they could sell and who they could sell to. This particular dealer had already been warned twice.

Bucky didn’t sit right away and he could feel the tension increasing in the room. Furtive glances were cast about by all except Rico, who was trying his damnedest to not look guilty. “I’m sure you are all aware why I called you here. No doubt you’ve heard about the… unfortunate accident that befell one of our men. What I’m not sure is why, after two warnings, he continued to deal outside of third street elementary school.”

Bucky smiled as the men all started speaking at once, trying to assure Bucky that _they_ had nothing to do with it at the same time that they tried to lay the blame elsewhere. This was why none of them would ever take _his_ spot. 

His smile dropped and he sat down, reclining in a very practiced manner. The simple motion brought everyone’s attention back to him. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter now. He’s selling to the dead now. It does, however, bring up a concern. The drugs he was pushing… they aren’t anything that I’ve authorized to be sold, and I sure as hell haven’t seen any profits for it. It really hurts that someone would steal from me.”

Behind him, the door opened and closed. Bucky didn’t need to look to know it was Natasha. That meant the boy was outside. He stood again, and moved around the table, slipping on a pair of leather gloves. “I don’t ask for much. With the exception of a few new rules, I let you boys run your businesses your way. And yet one of you thinks that’s just not good enough.”

He stopped at Rico’s chair. There was just a brief second, where everyone had time to suck in a breath, when Bucky grabbed Rico’s head and slammed it onto the hardwood table. The older man yelled both in surprise and pain. Bucky kicked the chair out from under him, making Rico hit the floor. “Believe me when I say, I find no pleasure in this, Rico. But you shouldn’t have tried to steal from me.”

Grabbing Rico by the hair, Bucky yanked him to his feet, his expression ice cold. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out?” He slammed Rico’s face into the table again and heard the sickening crunch of the other man’s nose breaking. The man screamed and Bucky threw him away from the table. Rico hit his chair and stumbled over it.

Bucky ignored the man’s pathetic screams and looked at Natasha. “Bring in the boy,” he snapped in Russian. He wasn’t angry with her. This entire thing was a show for the other family heads, and a risky one at that. Attacking these men directly could end with them deciding that Bucky was too much trouble. But letting them get away with this was worse.

As Natasha walked back to the door, Bucky looked at the men. “This is what happens to people who steal from me. The next one who tries will get more than a broken nose. He’ll find himself with a new necktie." The fact that a few hands rose to their throats was all Bucky needed to know that his message had been received. Returning to his seat, Bucky looked at the rest of the men in silence, studying each one for hints of rebellion while he waited for Natasha.

As Natasha let the boy in, Bucky turned to look at him, watching his face as he entered. Whether or not the boy had differences in opinion, Rico was still his father and Bucky knew what sort of loyalty that could breed. Bucky was purposely letting him see what he had done to Rico, to see how he would react. Seeing his father beat up was one thing, but letting him see the aftermath would really tell Bucky what he needed to know.

To his credit, the boy barely reacted, though there was a quickly hint look of surprise, followed by disgust. Good. No love lost there. “Peter, you will be taking your father’s place at my table. He’s had an unfortunate accident and will not be able to continue running his businesses. If you would like to call someone for him, you can do so.”

“Yes, sir,” Peter said, moving to help his father. 

Sitting back down, Bucky glanced at the other me. “Now that we have that unpleasant business behind us, let us get down to real work.”

The rest of the meeting went rather well. Bucky smoothed more than a couple of ruffled feathers by agreeing to a few things the others laid out. Those propositions actually would be good for the business as a whole. At the end, Bucky waited until everyone else was gone, then looked at Natasha.

“Well, that could have gone worse,” he said in Russian. “How did Peter react?”

“He was none too pleased with his father, that much was certain. The staff said the old man was griping a bit about how he had been treated, but the boy shut him up pretty quickly. No doubt Peter will seek to garner favor with you as soon as possible.”

“Good. Maybe I should bring him in for a private meeting. Let him know I think he’ll do a much better job than his father.”

“That would not be a bad idea. In fact, it might be a good way to gain his loyalty.” Natasha paused. “You know I could have done that bit for you,” she said, referring to Rico’s assault.

Bucky shook his head. “They need to know that I’m not afraid to get my own hands dirty. I need you to keep an eye on Rico for a while. Make sure he isn’t going to cause problems.”

“And if he does?”

Bucky shrugged. “Then kill him.” It was said without emotion, but it wasn’t at all an emotionless decision for him. He’d given Rico a chance. If the man chose to squander it on petty vengeance, then anything that happened past that was his own fault.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve sipped his coffee, running through reports, though he was having a hard time concentrating. His mind kept wandering back to last night with Bucky. How did it always end up like that? He and Bucky had grown up in the same neighborhood and been good friends for a long time. It had been because of all the crime in their neighborhood that they’d agreed to join the force together.

But then Bucky’s father had been killed. He hadn’t been targeted; just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everything had been messed up since then, even their relationship. Not that the sex was all bad, but there had been a time when it hadn’t ended it quite so many bruises.

Steve sighed and rubbed his eyes. Despite Bucky’s claims, Steve knew there had to be a better way. He just didn’t know how to show that to Bucky.

“Hard day at the office?” Sam, Steve’s partner, smiled at him as he walked over.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Steve said. “Want to get a drink tonight? I need to unwind.”

“Well I would say that sounds good to me, but Captain Fury gave us a case.” Sam dropped the folder on Steve’s desk. “For the body that was fished up.”

“Joy,” Steve said, picking up the folder and opening it. “Did they ID the body?”

“Girlfriend came in today. Said he’d gone missing. Didn’t seem too choked up by it.” Sam shook his head. “Kinda sad, really. Anyway, his name’s Henry Smith. Seventeen. From Jersey. Don’t know why he washed up in Brooklyn. Signs of being an addict though.”

“Feel like taking a car ride to visit the girlfriend?”

Sam nodded and Steve stood, grabbing his jacket. He already knew who had killed him, and that knowledge left a bad taste in his mouth. Did Bucky know the kid was only seventeen? Would he even have cared? When Steve had confronted him, Bucky had just said that he’d given the guy a couple of warnings to stop selling. But killing him was too drastic, especially for Steve. What the hell had Bucky become?

There was more to this whole thing than just one dead kid, though. Steve was certain of that much. What was motivating this kid to take that risk? There were just too many unknowns and Steve needed to figure this out.

The girlfriend, Susan, lived in a cheap, rundown, roach-infested apartment in Jersey. After giving the two cops a disgusted once over, she let them in. Compared to the state of the rest of the building, her apartment was pretty immaculate. Steve noticed hospital scrubs hanging in one corner. “This about Henry?” She asked. “I haven’t got a lot of time, you know. So ask your questions and get lost.”

Steve glanced at Sam, then at the girl. “Were you aware he was selling drugs to children?” The question seemed to throw her a bit, though whether it was the question itself, or just the directness of the question, Steve couldn’t say. He did notice a twitch to her that indicated prior drug abuse herself.

She sighed. “We were supposed to go clean together. I managed it, but he couldn’t. He tried, but then he said he got a job. One that could get us out of this dump. Came back home beat up and high again, the bastard. The second time, he looked even worse. Claimed if he didn’t go back again, they’d kill him.”

Steve frowned. “Them?”

“Whoever was supposed to be paying him to push their shit. Bastard got what he deserved. He should never have messed with those Russian assholes. Just can’t trust ‘em.”

“Did he ever say a name?”

“No. Well, actually, yeah. He did. Didn’t make sense at the time. I thought he was crazy. Hydra is what he called them. That sound familiar to you?”

“No, ma’am. But it may help us solve our case.”

“Whatever good that will do. Won’t bring Henry back to life.”

“No, but it may keep others from ending up like him. Thank you, ma’am.”

Back at the car, Steve looked at Sam. “Well, it’s a start. Hydra and Russians. How many of those could there possibly be?”

“I don’t know, Steve. This sounds big. Like turf war big. FBI big, even.”

“Don’t think I don’t know it. But until we know more for sure… We can’t really just take one girl’s word on it. We have to keep digging.” Steve just hoped that Bucky wasn’t getting himself in over his head. If another gang was trying to move in, a lot of innocent people could get hurt, and despite Steve’s misgivings about the path Bucky had chosen, he knew Bucky wouldn’t want that.

~~~  
“Do you understand?” Bucky handed the ledger over to Rico’s son Peter, who nodded slowly. 

“I think so, sir.”

“Good.” Bucky had taken the boy under his wing, feeling like this would be a better use of his time right at the moment. After the meeting a week ago, when Bucky had done the unprecedented and promoted Rico’s son without killing the older man, there had been a lot of talk. Bucky hadn’t heard it directly, but that didn’t mean he was unaware of it. He’d spent the last week appeasing the other family heads without making it seem like that’s what he was doing.

At the same time, he’d started teaching Peter how things worked. He had to admit, the kid was a quick study, and far more open to what Bucky was trying to accomplish.

“Just keep in mind that business will be even more fruitful with people who are loyal to our family.”

“They weren’t loyal before?”

“Fear only makes people so loyal. It’s more important to give them a reason to be loyal. In our case, we keep the major crime off their lawns. In return, they pay us for that. We don’t bankrupt them either. How are they going to pay us if they can’t afford it? Business. But above and beyond that, if someone tries to take our territory, who do you think those people are going to help?”

“Help how?”

“Information. Those little people are the ones out on the street hearing things. They trust us, they’re loyal to us, they’re going to give us information.”

“I see. Is this about that meeting you have later?”

Bucky bit back his smile. Quick, indeed. The meeting was with the head of a new crime ring across the river. “Could be. Guess we’ll see how the meeting goes. Go home, Peter. We’ll talk more later.”

As Peter stepped out, Bucky was surprised to see Steve come in. “I thought you were keeping innocents out of this,” Steve said.

“He’s hardly innocent,” Bucky responded, closing his ledgers and putting them away. Steve sat on the corner of the desk, putting himself at a very distracting angle. Reaching for his water glass, Bucky asked, “So what are you doing here? Ready for another round?”

Steve snorted in amusement. Despite their differences in how to get things done, they could never stay mad at each other for long. “Or we could just talk.”

“Talking leads to arguments,” Bucky reminded him. He stood up and leaned in, nuzzling Steve’s neck. “Arguments lead to sex. We could just jump straight to the end for a change. Skip all the hard feelings in between.”

“I’m tracking a lead. Some new group. Wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Bucky straightened. Had Steve already heard about the meeting later today? “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. Call it instinct.” Steve reached over and touched Bucky’s arm. The strength and gentleness of that touch… It reminded Bucky of the good old days, back before Steve went to the Academy and Bucky joined the mob, back when what they had was still innocent.

He stepped away. Bucky couldn’t afford that kind of weakness. More than that, he could put Steve in that kind of danger. Their current relationship was better… _safer_ for them both. “Well, I’m fine, but thanks. I’ll keep my ears open and if I hear anything…”

“I’ll be the last to know, as usual,” Steve said, standing. His face looked hurt and a little angry. It really made Bucky want to break down and tell him everything, but nothing good would come from that. “I’m sure you’re very busy,” he continued, turning away.

That, Bucky couldn’t stand. He grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled him back around, kissing him with all the feelings he could muster. “I promise, if I need you, I’ll call you.”

“That’s the problem. You never call.” Steve pulled away and left, leaving Bucky feeling very torn.

~~~  
Bucky looked across the table at the older man. Pierce didn’t seem particularly dangerous, but Bucky was all too aware that looks could be deceiving. In just the short amount of time that they’d been sitting here, Bucky could tell that this man wasn’t the sort to take rejection well. If he had to pinpoint a reason, Bucky would have said it was in the eyes. They were the eyes of a killer, the eyes of someone who was used to getting what they wanted and if they didn’t get it, they would take it.

If that wasn’t enough of a warning for Bucky, the man behind Pierce provided the visual warning. Professional hitman, scars at least a few years old, one gun visible, at least three more that weren’t. This pair may not have brought back up, but Bucky was fairly certain they wouldn’t need it.

At least this was keeping him from thinking about Steve. Their last interaction hadn’t exactly left Bucky feeling the best, but here he could focus on the moment.

“So what you’re proposing is a merger of our organizations,” Bucky said.

“To the mutual benefit of us both,” Pierce answered, nodding. “My business has been operating successfully in the surrounding areas.”

Which meant he owned those neighborhoods. That explained a lot of what he’d been hearing about. Natasha had warned him already about this group who called themselves Hydra. They weren’t an organization to be taken lightly. They’d originated in Germany back during World War 2, and had slowly spread their wings out to other countries.

But maybe, just maybe, they had spread themselves too far. It was a chance Bucky might have to take, depending on how bad these people really were. They might not care for his boundaries, or try to circumvent them, which he suspected they already had.

“I run things a little different this side of the river, Mr. Pierce. And you have offered nothing beneficial. I already run a successful business, I have had no run-ins with the law that I haven’t been able to handle and I’ve already made my men richer than they were under my predecessor. If anything, you should probably ask me for pointers, but I’ll save you the trouble. I’m not interested. If you can show me something good, then I’ll consider your offer more, but I don’t deal in hollow promises.”

He watched the hitman tense and start to reach for his gun. Bucky didn’t need to look to know that Natasha was doing the same thing behind him. Pierce gave the man a subtle gesture and he lowered his hand, though the tension never left his posture.

“Well, then, Mr. Barnes. When next we meet, I will be sure to show you exactly what we can do for you.” If Bucky had been the sort to shiver, he might have done so at Pierce’s tone of voice. But he’d been doing this for too long to let himself be intimidated by men like PIerce. He stood and shook the other man’s hand, but didn’t bother to show him out.

Once Pierce was gone, Bucky looked at Natasha. “He’s going to be trouble.”

“You probably should have taken his offer,” she pointed out. 

“Probably, but I have a hunch you wouldn’t have stayed in my employ and you’re more of an asset than he is.”

“Careful, I might mistake that for flirting, if I wasn’t fully aware of your proclivities.” A smirk played at the corner of her mouth.

Bucky laughed. “True. Still, I’m not completely turned off by a pretty woman and it’s not like there aren’t rumours.” Natasha reached over and smacked him in the back of the head, making Bucky laugh more. “Okay, I deserve that.” Bucky looked at the closed door. “Which is more likely? Is he going to try and kill me or put me away?”

“Depends on how much he knows about you. If he suspects you and the police are bedfellows, it’ll be less trouble for him to pin something on you. Otherwise, he’ll just try to kill you. Less questions, less investigation. Just another crime lord meeting an unfortunate end.”

“Great. So damned one way or the other. If I end up in jail though, I’ve got a chance.” Bucky leaned against the table, thinking.

“I don’t like that look,” Natasha said. “I’ve seen it before and it means a lot of trouble for me.”

Bucky smiled. “Not as much trouble as you think.”


	3. Chapter 3

Steve kicked the door open, weapon drawn. He almost couldn’t believe he was actually doing this, but when the body had come in, a young police officer barely out of the academy, all of his investigating was pointing to Bucky as the culprit. The evidence was almost too perfect, too damning, which was setting off every red flag in Steve’s head, but without any proof to the contrary, his hands were tied. He had to arrest Bucky.

What he hadn’t been expecting was to walk in on Bucky in the middle of… _sleeping_ with someone else. Although there was less sleeping and more fucking happening. Steve stopped, in shock, and tried to figure out which was more shocking to him - the fact that Bucky was sleeping with anyone other than Steve, or the fact that he didn’t seem at all guilty about it.

Sam stepped in behind him. “Hands in the air! James Barnes, you are under arrest.”

Steve watched as Bucky slowly got up, completely naked. “Should I go naked, or can I reach for my pants?”

“Slowly, asshole,” Sam said. Steve was glad he was taking the lead because if he hadn’t, Steve probably would have already decked Bucky. What the hell was he doing? Steve didn’t want to believe that Bucky had actually killed a police officer, but the truth was, Bucky had been enjoying his role as crime boss a little too much. 

Once dressed, Steve walked over and handcuffed Bucky. He was a little rough, but he was angry enough not to care right at the moment. “Let’s go.”

~~~  
“I didn’t kill him,” Bucky told Steve.

Steve was looking at him from the other side of the bars. He hadn’t been interrogated yet. Sam was dealing with the paperwork and they had to wait for Bucky’s attorney. Alone for the moment, Steve wasn’t sure if he could believe Bucky, however much he wanted to.

“You killed a seventeen year old kid. How do I know you wouldn’t kill a police officer?”

From the look on Bucky’s face, Steve guessed he hadn’t known how old the kid was. Shit. The look of surprise was quickly replaced by Bucky’s usual mask of indifference. That look didn’t last long either, fading into one of resignation. “Look, Steve. You can believe what you want. I can’t force the truth on you. But whatever else happens from this point on, I want you to understand two things. The first is that I never killed a damn soul who didn’t deserve it. And the second is that you need to stay the hell away from me.”

“What, just like that?” Steve stepped closer to the bars, angry and hurt.

“Just like that,” Bucky replied. “I’m dangerous and you deserve better. So stay away from me.”

Steve watched Bucky for a moment. “You didn’t kill him,” he said, realisation dawning.

“You don’t know that.”

“I know you. And I know we both want the same thing. I don’t know what you’re involved in, but…” Steve didn’t get to finish. The lawyer walked in with Sam right then. 

“He’s got an alibi,” Sam said. “A woman came in. Said she was with him all night. Got eye-witnesses too. Signed affidavits, the whole nine.”

That should have been a relief to Steve, but somehow, thinking of Bucky sleeping with anyone else… it didn’t feel _right_. Steve looked at Bucky, who didn’t look at all guilty, and nodded. “You’re free to go then.”

Unlocking the door, Steve let Bucky out. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said quietly.

Bucky shook his head. “Don’t come near me again.”

With those final words, Bucky followed his lawyer out. Steve took a deep breath, feeling more shaken than he had any right to be. Sam looked at him curiously. “You okay? You know we’ll get the bastard, right?”

“It’s not that.” Steve wondered if he should tell Sam. He was a good man and friend, but Steve wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle knowing his partner was screwing the local mob boss. “I think I need that drink tonight.”

~~~  
“Hydra,” Natasha said. “That’s who Pierce was with. And who tried to set you up.”

Bucky sighed. “I am so glad I had you arrange that alibi. Steve didn’t like it, but…”

“But, this isn’t about him. It’s about keeping you safe. Anyway, I thought I’d heard the name before, so I went digging. This is bigger than we thought, James. Way bigger. Big enough that you might want to consider accepting their offer.”

Using his given name? Natasha only did that when she was really serious. He sighed. “You know I can’t and you know why. If anything happens to me, anything at all, I want you to get out. Go to Steve, go into witness protection, I don’t care. Just get out and hide. Or… look after Peter. He’s smart. He’ll need someone...”

“And you know _I_ can’t do _that_.” Natasha smiled. “Don’t think that I’m just here for the money, James Buchanan Barnes. And I’m not Steve, who you can just keep in the dark and lie to.”

Bucky smiled. “Point taken. And this is why I’ve trusted you with my back this whole time. So what are we going to do? We can’t give in, and we can’t run.”

“No… But we might be able to set a trap.”

Bucky smiled. “I’m listening.”

~~~  
“Mr. Barnes!” Peter came running in and Bucky stood. He didn’t have to be told to know that Pierce had returned, but for Peter to be here… He’d given him the week off, along with most of the rest of the staff and guard. The only ones he’d kept were a pair at the front door, who had strict order to let Pierce and his goons past. He’d been hoping that Pierce would take the bait. “Mr. Barnes, there’s people coming. The guards at the front door tried to stop them, but they killed them.”

Shit. He’d picked those two because he had been sure that they held no loyalties to him, that’ they wouldn’t try to play hero… Apparently he’d been wrong. Shit. “Natasha, get Peter out of here. You know what to do.”

Peter looked between them. “You were expecting this?”

“That’s why I gave you the week off, Peter. Go with Natasha.”

“No, if you’re going to fight, so am I.”

Bucky had to admire the boy’s loyalty. After all, that was what Bucky had been hoping for, but that could get him killed and that was _not_ okay with Bucky. “I don’t have time to explain, son. Just trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

“But…”

“Go!” Bucky yelled, grabbing the boy’s arm and roughly shoving him toward Natasha. “Don’t take forever, Nat,” he added in Russian. “I don’t want to die.”

“I’ll be back, with reinforcements.”

She pulled Peter out through a back door hidden behind a tapestry. Bucky looked back at the main office door as it was kicked in and Pierce strolled through. He’d told the men at the front door not to fight Pierce, but apparently they had anyway, poor souls. The mansion was mostly empty, except for a few support staff. It had been an invitation to Pierce and sure enough, the old man hadn’t been able to resist.

“Hello, James. I told you I’d be back.”

Bucky smiled and leaned against his desk, eying Rumlow. Would they choose to kill him now? “Nice try, trying to blame a police death on me. As you can see, it didn’t work.”

“You have no vision, James. Together we could have built a better world.”

Bucky’s’ hand closed on a paperweight. “My world is already better,” he growled. “Didn’t need you for that.” He moved, launching the paperweight at Pierce. He’d be damned if he was going without a fight. Pierce dodged, the weight slamming hard into the wall behind him, and his guard dog Rumlow leapt forward. Bucky was good, able to fight back, but Rumlow was better. A solid right hook to his jaw stunned Bucky long enough, then Rumlow rammed his fist into Bucky’s stomach, dropping him.

 _Hurry up, Natasha,_ Bucky thought, as he watched Rumlow pull out a pair of cuffs. Second time in a week… He just might have to use a pair on someone else when this was all over.

~~~  
Steve threw back his beer. It had been a week since Bucky had been released, and Steve had told Sam the truth. He had been pleasantly surprised by how well Sam had taken it. Actually Sam had more of an issue with the mafia thing than with the fact that Steve was with another guy.

_”You don’t think dating the head of the local mafia interferes with your job?” Sam had asked._

_“Well, we aren’t exactly dating. We meet up, I question him, it turns into a fight, and then we screw.”_

_“But you do love him?”_

_Steve had sighed, then nodded. “More than anything. We were supposed to join the force together. I just wish I knew what he was thinking. He wouldn’t have pushed me away like this unless something big was going to happen.”_

_“Well then, we’ll just have to do some investigating to find out why.”_

That had been a week ago and the feeling of something about to happen had only increased. Crime over the last week had been non-existent, the streets unusually quiet. Even Captain Fury had commented on it. It felt like the calm before the storm.

Steve set his beer down and stood up. He’d tried to stay away from Bucky, but it felt _wrong_. Bucky needed him, whether he would ask for the help or not. He was just about to leave the bar, when the gorgeous redhead that Steve recognized from Bucky’s gang walked in, followed by the kid Steve recognized from Bucky’s office a couple weeks ago. He didn’t know either of their names, but she apparently knew exactly who he was, as she strode straight for him. 

“Steven Rogers.”

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled. “An ally. All you need to know is that your friend Bucky is in trouble, and he’s calling you for help.”

Steve’s heart skipped. Bucky had kept his promise. “If Bucky’s in trouble, then just get me to him.”

The woman nodded. “Is there anyone you trust to help us? This isn’t going to be easy.”

Steve hesitated, then nodded. “My partner. I’ll drive.”

~~~  
Bucky looked up at Pierce through a swollen eye. He could taste blood in his mouth and he was pretty sure that at least one of his ribs was broken. Pierce barely showed any emotion at all as his bodyguard Rumlow brandished the baton with cruel efficiency.

“You really should have taken our offer,” Pierce said. “I don’t take kindly to rejection.”

“Too bad,” Bucky managed to get out. “Guess there’s a first time for everything.”

Rumlow brought the baton down on Bucky’s shoulder, causing Bucky to cry out. Pierce just tsked. “You’ll feel differently soon. I was told you were a sensible businessman, but I guess you really don’t want to get your hands dirty.”

“Oh, just undo the cuffs. I’ll show you exactly how dirty my hands are,” Bucky said, his tone darkening.

Rumlow stepped around and punched Bucky right in the gut. He reached back to punch him again when a commotion caused all of them to look up. Bucky bit back his smile. That would be Natasha with Steve and hopefully a few other people.

He hadn’t wanted to bring Steve in on this. It was dangerous. These people obviously had no qualms about killing police officers. But in the end, this was the best way to trap them. They could kill both Rumlow and Pierce right now. It wouldn’t stop Hydra forever, but it should deter them long enough.

“Go see what’s going on,” Pierce ordered Rumlow. He looked at Bucky as the bodyguard hurried out. Bucky smirked at the older man.

“You’re not worried, are you?” Bucky asked. 

Pierce just frowned at him, then drew a gun. “Don’t be so cocky. Whatever trap you think you’ve pulled together won’t work if you’re dead.”

Bucky’s eyes jumped to the door as it was kicked open. A single shot rang out before Bucky could even register that it was Steve running in, holding his own gun. Pierce crumpled to the floor and Bucky let out a breath. 

“Bucky, are you okay?” Steve was by his side in an instant, looking him over. 

“Just glad to see you.” Bucky let his head droop forward, resting it on Steve’s shoulder.

“We’ll get you out of here.”

~~~  
Bucky opened his eyes and looked over at Steve. He was laying in his own bed, thank god, rather than at a hospital. Bucky wondered how many strings Steve had to have pulled for that. Or maybe it had been Natasha. That seemed more likely. That must have been an interesting conversation.

“So… Before you ask, I don’t want to know the damage. Just tell me you got them.”

Steve looked up from the book he had been reading, and smiled. “We did. Even arrested a few guys, so Fury is happy at least.”

“Good.”

“Bucky, that was dangerous, even for you. Natasha told me what you two planned. You could have been killed.”

“Was counting on you to save me. Kept my promise, didn’t I?” Bucky grinned cheekily, then winced, the motion pulling at the tender spots on his cheek.

“Yeah, you did asshole. You should have called sooner.”

“Then they would have gotten away and just tried again.”

Steve sighed. “You’re a punk. Are you really going to keep doing this?”

Bucky reached for his hand and Steve took it. “I have to. I’ve done good things. I really have. There’s a kid… He’s brilliant and he understands what I’m accomplishing. I can change them. I know it won’t be perfect, but I can. It’s even more important now. If I leave now, someone worse than me is going to take charge and things will go back to the way they were before. You cut off the head of the snake, but that new gang isn’t going to back down.”

Steve leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Then we’ll take them all down. Together. Just stop being an idiot and trying to handle everything alone.”

“Promise.”


End file.
